James Smart of Chalford – Working Life on the Cotswold Canals
$16.2
$29
His narrow boats traded up the River Severn to the Midlands and over the Cotswolds to the Thames Valley and Wiltshire. Additionally, his barges traded down the Severn and around the upper Bristol Channel. The story is based on over a thousand letters, postcards, and telegrams written to James Smart by his employees, suppliers, and customers.These letters have been connected to relevant voyages recorded in the tonnage books of the relevant canals. The story provides an insightful look into the lives of Victorian barge and boatmen. It also demonstrates how James Smart managed his widespread business during a time when telephones did not exist.
